Mr Roger's Neighborhood
by sailormoonstwin
Summary: SenshiGenerals, UsagiMamoru AU Kunz has a thing for Mina. So how did the others get pulled into his madness? One by one they fall. Rated for language.
1. Cat in the bushes?

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and content are my own.

Author's Note: Yes, bad of me to start a new one before I finished any of my other stories but it just suddenly popped into my head and I had to write it down before I forgot. To make up for the lack of face time for some of the characters in the other stories.

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**Ch. 1 Cat in the bushes?**

Minako Aino sat on her front step, trying to ignore the rustling she heard from the bushes. She bit her lip wondering whether she should be annoyed or amused.

Hearing the hum of a vehicle, she perked up. She turned her head to see her next door neighbor get out of his car. She grinned as Motoki Furuhata waved at her. "What are you doing all by your lonesome?"

"Just enjoying the sun."

"You mean like that time you got horrible sunburn because you 'enjoyed' the sun for a good eight hours?"

Her cheeks colored. "I didn't intend to. I . . . fell asleep while sunbathing." She looked away, pouting.

He chuckled, crossing her lawn to give her a hug. She pecked him on the cheek in greeting.

The wind picked up, covering the heated whispers of an argument in the hedges.

"Can we go?" whined Zoisaito. "You promised to hang out with me today and play basketball in the park."

Kunzaito, known by everyone at college as 'Kunz,' glanced at his younger brother. Through clenched teeth, he responded, "In a minute."

"You said that ten minutes ago and half an hour before that."

"Yeah man. I don't think I can feel my butt anymore." Kunz deigned to give Mamoru a head-on indignant glare before returning his attention to the blonde on the porch steps.

Looking at him now, crouched in someone's bushes, no one would guess that Kunz had been unanimously nominated student body president. Of course, it wasn't just his sinfully good looks—although he had more than plenty of that—that got him the position. He had a head for business and with his take-charge-no-nonsense attitude, the students felt he would be able to answer their needs.

Too bad he couldn't seem to fulfill his own wants. Since that day she appeared in his homeroom as a transfer student, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her: not with the way the sunlight seemed to play in her golden hair, or the way she smiled widely before bursting into contagious laughter, or even the way she would grumble about something and then go into a rage if the same thing came up again.

It had been five years since then. The unrequited love wasn't really one-sided—although it might turn out to be—as it was unprofessed. She certainly couldn't turn him down if he didn't even confess to her. Every time he gathered the courage to ask her out though, someone either involved her in a conversation before he could utter a word or he ended up doing something horribly embarrassing in front of her. Like that time the janitor had just mopped the floor and he slipped on a wet spot, falling unceremoniously on his rump as his bookbag spilled its contents across the hallway or that time he tripped on his own pant leg and not only fell face first but also succeeded in pulling down his own pants. Crawling into a really deep hole would not have been enough to save his ego or erase the echoes of laughter rolling across the hallways in every direction. It still gave him nightmares.

A chill rolled down his back at the thought. It quickly disintegrated into vein-popping fury as he watched _his_ Mina in close proximities with a—decently good-looking, he had to admit—guy and she didn't seem averse to it. Snap. Snap. Snap. Snapsnapsnapsnap.

Mamoru and Zoi wrestled the poor twigs from his grasp and struggled painfully to keep him away from the rest of the bushes. Mamoru grunted and wheezed out, "How did you drag me into this?"

What started as a trip to the nearby park turned into a stakeout. Except that they weren't cops and they weren't watching an illegal transaction. If anything, they were the ones doing something that at the very least felt illegal if it wasn't in fact actually illegal. It left an acrid taste in his mouth at the thought that he had been turned into a voyeur.

Mamoru did not expect Kunz of all people to get him into such a mess. As the younger of the two, he had always looked up to Kunz as the older brother and mentor. He had known him ever since he was a snot-nosed kid, being the Shittenous next-door neighbor.

Sure they had gone through a number of escapades together but this had to take the cake. He supposed it was the first time that it had ever really involved a girl—all their other romps had been setting up chalkboard erasers or buckets above doorways at school to see who would the first victims. Of course their pranks hadn't stopped at that. They had once even stolen the vice principal's backup toupee from his 'hidden' desk drawer and then _accidentally_ gotten food in his hair while he was talking to another teacher in the school cafeteria.

Yep, the five of them were entirely too much for the hearts of some. Having no siblings of his own, Mamoru was glad that Kunz and his brothers had taken him into the fold. He had had no one in his life during those first years after the car crash and he had become something of a cynic by the time he met Kunz. His foster parents worked night and day and he tried to become something of a poster child for them. They knew, even if they didn't know how to tell him, that he needed others around him because they could help him move on. So they were glad when the Shittenous had moved into the neighborhood because Mamoru finally got to be like any other kid. They tried their best to not be elated when a homeroom teacher would call and tell them about the trouble that Mamoru had caused _again_.

In his reverie, Mamoru's stance wasn't as balanced as it should have been. Kunz only struggled a little and Mamoru fell backwards into the bushes they had been trying to keep him away from. He grimaced, growling as he tried to remove leaves and dirt from his clothes and hair, before putting most of his weight onto Kunz's shoulders and neck. _Damn, he's gotten much stronger. He must be working out every day at college._

Motoki looked towards the bushes in askance. "Did you guys get a pet?"

" . . . You could say that." Minako almost snorted out amused laughter but tried her best to school her face into an innocent smile.

"Oh really?" Motoki held a childish grin as he started towards the bushes to see what kind of pet the Ainos had bought. "Awesome! We can never get furry animals since Reika is allergic. I bet you got a cat."

Minako's eyes widened in shock. No matter how weirded out she might have been, she didn't want Motoki to kill the poor guy in the bushes.

And Kunz had stopped struggling the moment he saw Motoki headed towards their cover. Oh they were so fucked.

* * *

The other boys had turned to see what was going on when Kunz had stiffened and were now glaring holes into his head.

Minako sprang to her feet. "Hey—"

"Motoki! You gonna make me put away all the groceries?"

He paused comically mid-step before swiveling his head towards his wife. Grinning that Cheshire-cat grin of his, he answered, "Why would I ever do that to you?"

Reika laughed at his antics, a becoming blush gracing her face as she pulled two bulging bags of groceries out of the car and proceeded up the walk to the front door, greeting Minako in the process. Motoki shrugged at Minako, waving to her as he jogged over and hefted a few more out. "I'll come over another time to see the cat!"

Minako smiled disarmingly as she avoided that topic altogether. "Bye!" Once he had disappeared inside, she let out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding. One of these days her 'cat' was going to give her a heart attack and it wouldn't be in a good way.

Sighing, she wrung her hands together before bringing her arms above her head in a stretch. Kunz could only stare, watching the rather innocent display with growing angst. How did he get himself into these things? He saw her shirt ride up her sides as she twisted her back slightly to feel it crack. He gulped. He felt the awful urge to jump the hedge and kiss the living daylights out of her.

Getting some of the kinks out of her system, she turned around on the steps and started to climb. She paused as if in thought and turned, looking him in the eyes. He almost scooted backwards in shock and probably would have if Zoi and Mamoru didn't have him in a death grip.

Her eyes burned into him and he wanted to be anywhere but there. In that moment, it felt like she understood exactly why he was hidden in her bushes, being wrestled down by two guys. Unbelievable as it was, his vision blurred with a slight film of tears. He was reminded of why Mina wasn't purely an obsession. It was something much deeper than that.

He blinked to clear his eyes. When he opened them again, she was gone.


	2. Perfect isn't enough

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and content are my own.

Author's Note: Huge thank you to **Nyridian** for making a comment about the general's names. I went to make sure I had them translated correctly and discovered that I read the katakana incorrectly for Kunz's name! Also, thanks for catching my mistake with Minako's name. (This is what I get for reading fanfics and trying to write one at the same time.) There are a few places where the 'ko' is dropped on purpose and when the 'ko' is dropped, that usually indicates familiarity or an endearment.

Also, a huge thank you for the prompt and motivating reviews from **Nyridian** and **goldnheart**. I was debating about whether to post it but I'm glad I did!

**

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Ch. 2 ****Perfect isn't enough**

Unbeknownst to either the bumbling trio or Minako, one of her neighbors was watching them much like one would watch a movie—with a bowl of popcorn. Casually popping piece after piece in her mouth and chewing slowly, she continued to stare at the bushes long after the boys had emerged and disappeared like lightning down the street. She broke out in belly-deep laughter before falling into a choking fit as she inhaled the piece she had been chewing on. _Mako's going to get a kick out of this._

* * *

"Big brother, I don't care what you promise next time but you won't get me to do that again! You almost got us pounded into the dirt." Zoi gulped lungfuls of air as he tried to get back his breath from their mad escape dash.

Mamoru did much the same, plucking at his shirt occasionally to make the sweat evaporate faster. "Seriously. No more of this stupid shit. I thought you were supposed to be oldest of us. Go confess to her like a man."

When they heard no sound from him, both turned towards Kunz to see what he was thinking. Head down and chin tucked into his chest, they couldn't make out his expression. They gave each other the Look before returning their attention. Kunz was only silent when he was mad at them and that could last at least half a year as Jedaito, the youngest, had discovered early on at the age of three. The poor kid still had nightmares about that sometimes.

So of course, they naturally jumped out of their skins when Kunz burst out laughing, clapping them on their backs. "Good to see you two don't need me for a backbone. I was worried that the house would burn down while I was gone, seeing how student body duties take up all of my sleeping time, and only you two and Jei are left here now."

They both winced. Being the troublesome teenager that he was, Jei had taken his father's electronic key card and stuck it in the microwave 'just to see what would happen.' He was lucky he only blew up the microwave and hadn't taken the rest of the house with it. They were glad that his dad didn't work in a high security clearance government something or other or the FBI would probably be at their door faster than they could inhale a hotdog.

"Ahahaha . . ." Good thing they were already sweating up a storm and Kunz couldn't tell the difference between nervous sweat and escape-from-death sweat or Kunz would be grilling it out of them. They were sure he would hear it from his father at some point; they weren't going to be accused of tattling . . . although it might be considered more of an amusing anecdote if nothing else—in their old age, of course.

"So how about those hoops?"

* * *

"Ami, honey, don't forget to turn in your residency paperwork by the end of the week."

Without looking up from the light reading she was doing, Ami replied quietly, "It's already been processed. They sent me notification in the mail this morning."

Her mother smiled. "Always one step ahead, aren't you? Well, never hurts to mention it in case you forget."

"Have I ever?" Mrs. Mizuno wanted to sigh at the answer but restrained herself. Her daughter never could express anything more than an aloofness towards her. She supposed that on some level Ami cared about her but she often felt that she only tolerated her and no more. _That's what I get for putting my job ahead of my family . . ._

Returning to her room to finish dressing, she suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Ami . . ."

The only thing in Ami's room, however, was the copy of _Chemical Properties of Mercury and Research on Removing it from Water and Other Substances_ that she had been reading with a blue-tasseled bookmark slipped in between the pages.

* * *

Ami walked aimlessly through the streets of the neighborhood, stopping by the park on her way back home. The breeze felt wonderful on her skin in the heated temperature of the afternoon sun.

She leaned against the head-high fence and watched the crowded basketball court. She was never much for sweating over any kind of sport If one couldn't tell, she wasn't much of an outdoorsy person period. Her pale complexion attested to that.

Sure she did everything on time and without fail but somehow she was still incomplete. She felt tired. Even without any major stressors, so much energy seemed to seep out of her. _What am I doing with my life?_

A whoop went up as the ball bounced off the hoop before rolling around the rim and falling in without a sound. She stared at the hoop long after the event had happened, her mind running in circles about the possibilities of such a thing occurring and the chance of something so serendipitous happening in her life.

Ami did not even notice until she realized something had obscured her line of sight. In refocusing her vision, she was startled to find grey-blue eyes looking back at her.

He nodded at her as he knelt down to pick up the ball that had rolled to the fence near her feet. The wind blew, whipping their hair around. Later, she would recall this moment for the rest of her life as he looked up at her. Her fingers gripping the metal of the chain-linked fence, she opened her mouth to speak.

He turned to catch the ball as it moved away from him. When he looked up again, he only found the links clanging in her place.


	3. Purely accidental

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and content are my own.

Author's Note: I am on a roll! Anyway, let me know if anything ends up being confusing or interesting. Have fun reading!

**Ch. 2 Purely accidental**

Rei pulled another weed out of the front lawn. Goddammit, why did her grandpa keep planting them?

She had been watering the grassy area on the other side of the sidewalk and turned around to water the front lawn when she noticed them. She scowled so ferociously she could feel her veins. _I KEEP telling him that they'll kill all the other flowers. He's getting so senile he can't tell one plant from the other. I just hope he doesn't make the same mistake with peanuts and his medicine._

There was no telling how fast his throat could seal up if that happened, especially if she wasn't always at home to keep an eye on him. As she knelt in the grass, feeling the water soaking into her pants as she kept pulling, someone ran past sliding in the muddy part and spraying her in the face and arms.

_None better have gotten in my eyes_, she thought lividly as her eyes snapped open again. The other girl had cushioned her fall with her hands as she scrambled to get back up. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry about that. Who got this area all wet? Some people have no consideration for those who have to use this sidewalk!"

Rei could feel the vein ticking in her forehead. The bumbling moron probably didn't know it had been her but as always, her temper got the better of her. She let out something between a scream and a growl, and jumped to her feet, ready to throttle her. Apparently, like a rabbit sensing danger, the other had hightailed it out of there before the sound had gotten halfway out of Rei's throat.

Rei gnashed her teeth. This was going to be a long day.

--

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

He waved it away. "Maybe that was my stomach?"

Kunz snorted. "That's your answer for everything, isn't it?"

Zoi pulled a face and blurted out, "Last one's a rotten egg!" as he pelted down the sidewalk toward their house.

"Oh no you don't!" Kunz raced after him, jumping across the street in two strides as he followed his brother's path.

Mamoru hit the sidewalk a few seconds later.

Quite literally. _What the . . .? _The trees whirred above his head as the wind moved the branches and the leaves twinkled here and there as the sunlight streamed through in patches.

He groaned. He felt like a truck had just hit him; he had no air in his lungs.

"Ah." Short and surprised. She got up, pushing against his chest (once again knocking the air out of him) and almost kneeing him the process.

Mamoru frowned at her, as if expecting an answer, and all he got in response was a childish grin as she bit her lip, shrugged her shoulders, and continued like a whirlwind down the block.

He dropped his head back onto the concrete.

--

"Stop right there!"

The blonde clutched her dress, wondering if Mako was chasing a runaway lobster again. Not seeing anything even conspicuously dark red flopping towards her, she started looking around.

"What are you doing? I'm talking to you."

Pointing at herself, she tilted her head quizzically. Makoto responded in kind with a raised eyebrow and pointed down.

Usagi's shoes were caked with mud, slowly creating a brownish pool around her feet. Putting a hand to the back of her head, she gave a high pitched, nervous laugh. "Ahahahahaha . . ."

Makoto dropped her head in exasperation. She breathed out a laugh as she shook her auburn locks out of her face. "Come on. Clean it up and you can eat those brownies you came for . . . but not before I get you something else to wear. Did you fall into a swamp or something?"

Makoto started picking out leaves and twigs from Usagi's hair as Usagi slipped out of her shoes and carefully maneuvered herself away from the puddle. "No, just a few accidents."

She had to laugh again. "Why am I not surprised? You always have some type of accident."

"They weren't even my fault this time!" Usagi only received another disbelieving look from Makoto. "No, really!"

After wrapping her hair into a messy blob on her head with a kerchief and putting on a fresh change of clothes, Usagi was allowed to slump into the plump cushions of Makoto's overstuffed armchair and stuff herself with hot fudge brownies to her heart's content. Usagi made another low sound in her throat as if she were in seventh heaven.

"You really love them that much? That's the fourth time you've made the sound in the past minute."

Usagi replied with chipmunk cheeks, "Uf coursh. Effyfing you mek ish duwishush."

Makoto tried her best not to snort but burst out laughing not soon after the failed attempt. "Oh, don't look like that. You're just too cute." This was followed with more laughter.

Usagi pouted, mouth still full of brownie. "See ifh I efer compuhmen you agen."

"Anyway, guess what? I have exciting news." Usagi choked, remembering that she had her own exciting news to tell. Now Makoto wasn't so sure about saying anything but Usagi was looking at her expectantly. "I—well, you remember that vacant building down by the canal?" An exuberant nod. "I just finished paying for it." A blink. " . . . I can finally start Meadow Lark."

Usagi squealed. "Really? More delicious food than I could ever imagine!"

Makoto laughed at that. "All you ever think about is food."

"Hey, I'm a growing girl!" Fists on her hips, she frowned defiantly at Makoto. "Ah! Anyway, I just saw something really amusing. You know the girl that lives in the house to the left of the house across the street from me? There were a bunch of guys hiding in her bushes today!"

"Oh . . . um, what was her name? Mi-something. Honestly, you should know her name better than I do. I only moved here last year and you've what? Lived here since you were born?"

"Besides the point!"

"Yes, yes." Makoto had a thoughtful look on her face. "Motoki-kun lives across the street from you, doesn't he?"

"You can remember his name but not hers?" Usagi asked with a smirk. Makoto blushed.

"So, the guys? Who were they?"

"Oh! Eh, I'm actually not sure but they kinda looked familiar. I've seen them around the block before . . . they were running like their butts were on fire, so I only got a glimpse of them as they were peeking out of the bushes to make sure there was no one in view before they made their escape."

"You were watching them for a really long time, weren't you?"

Usagi shrugged and grabbed another brownie. "I guess."

With a sigh, Makoto said, "Let's start today's cooking lesson. I have a feeling it's going to take longer than usual to clean up."

--

Mamoru blew the hair out of his eyes as he entered through the back door of the Shittenou's house. Carefully keeping away from the walls (Mrs. Shittenou was very anal about dirt on her walls), he took off his shoes and put them outside the door before completely stepping inside.

The others looked up from the concoction they were making. Wait, was it bubbling? "What happened to you? You _are_ the last one but we didn't expect you to actually look like a rotten egg."

"Some blonde pipsqueak plowed me over, she was in such a hurry." He began washing his hands in the sink.

"Are you talking about the Walking Disaster?"

Mamoru turned at the question. "The who?"

Kunz sighed rather melodramatically before saying, "You would think you would know most of the kids in this neighborhood. You've been here for at least five years, if not more."

"Well, _sorry_." At which point, he began shaking his hands instead of wiping them on a towel. Of course, he had also cupped his hands together and filled it water.

A water fight ensued.

Consequences were only thought of afterwards as the whole kitchen was drenched, puddles forming in various places. The front door opened with a jingling of keys. A feminine voice called out, "Hey kids, I brought dinner."

If they had gotten lucky earlier, then they must have used up all their luck then. Oh, they really were fucked this time. Looking around the kitchen, Mamoru, Kunz, and Zoi realized there was no way they were going to get out of this mess.


	4. A clean punishment

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and content are my own.

Author's Note: I'm supposed to be writing a paper, studying for a final, and finishing off two projects right now. Yay for procrastination huh?

Man, I seriously need to make these chapters longer. I'm still on the first day. In the final version, I will probably combine all of them. So, question: am I putting in enough detail? Not enough? Send me a PM or review. Thanks!

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**Ch. 4 A clean punishment**

Guts went flying everywhere. Dead. Definitely dead.

Ok, so they weren't guts but the strawberry bits mixed with the cream cheese, whipped topping, and sugar were certainly gloopy and red enough to look like it. She would be dead once Makoto saw the mess.

Usagi rushed to shut off the blender just as Makoto entered and stared at her once spotless kitchen in horror. "How could you forget to put on the cap _and_ hold it in place?"

Makoto looked about ready to cry and she was anything but the crying type. Of course, the kitchen was Makoto's most beloved place in the whole house. Usagi lowered her head, berating herself as she too started to feel the salty tears run down her face. Makoto was at her side in instant. It was hard to stay angry at her and an unhappy Usagi wasn't a Usagi at all.

They could clean the kitchen. It might take a while though. If it had been blown up, that would have been an entirely different story. She would probably ban Usagi at that point—or ask that they use a different kitchen. Preferably one that did not belong to her.

"I'll never get the hang of this!" wailed Usagi.

"Hey . . . that's not true. Just last week, you were finally able to make blueberry pancakes with the special maple syrup all by yourself."

More tears fell. "What kind of accomplishment is that? It took me two months—two whole months!—before I didn't burn something or add the wrong ingredient or cover the kitchen in batter . . . which I apparently still do."

"It didn't come easy for me either, you know. After my parents died, I had to learn to cook _for_ myself _by_ myself. Even if it was burnt I had to eat it because I wasn't given any other food. I di—" Makoto grimaced as Usagi clamped onto her, although that was more because Usagi was smearing the strawberry blend all over her than because she was leaving her very little room to breathe.

"I'm sorry! I know how hard it is for you to talk about that. Don't do it just to make me feel better. I don't deserve that!" Makoto felt saddened hearing those words come out of her mouth. Usagi was suffering as much as she had when she was young, just in a different way. Maybe in a way that would be more lethal in the end if she couldn't find someone to understand her and be there for her. _Like Shinozaki had been there for me . . ._

Makoto surveyed her kitchen again and sighed. _This is going to take . . ._

_._

_.  
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* * *

.

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". . . forever, " moaned Zoi. "Seriously, we have been at this forever."

"And how did I get dragged into this?" whined Jei. "I didn't even do anything this time!"

"Because you can't be punished enough for your previous crimes." Mamoru was hinting about the most recent incident with the electronic key card. Jei smiled nervously, hoping that Kunz wouldn't ask.

Kunz, however, was preoccupied with complaining about all the 'garbage' that their father had racked up in the attic. "Why is he keeping a broken blender up here?"

More than half of the space was taken up by broken appliances or boxes full of parts. Mamoru started sorting through another box. "I'm more surprised that the floor hasn't collapsed under all this weight. There is some pretty heavy equipment over there."

They all turned to look where he was pointing. "A jukebox?"

It wasn't one of those miniature versions either: full sized and about as tall as a person, it winked at them in all its red chrome glory. Okay, so maybe the sunlight coming through the window was helping a little with that and the red wasn't all that shiny given the four inches of dust layering its surface but one only ever saw these things in a museum nowadays.

"Ahhhh, yes." Mr. Shittenou said from his viewpoint on the stairs. They jumped, obviously not expecting him. It was comical to see his eyes peering at them over the floorboards. He did have a habit of sneaking up on them and telling stories about how he had acquired a piece while on a romantic adventure with his wife, who was at the time his girlfriend. "This jukebox has an amazing story. I remember it as if it were yesterday . . ."

They tried not to groan in dismay. Although his recollections were sometimes interesting and historically enthralling, it got rather painful when they lasted several hours. It was a rare case indeed if he only had very little to say. Dusting off places to sit, they settled in to wait it out.

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* * *

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She jumped out of her chair as a timer went off in the kitchen. Her mother rushed by and she blinked. _Another false alarm._

Just when she was about to sit back down the screen to the back door slammed shut. Minako twitched.

"Dear, stop attacking the phone." Her mother wore a bemused look as she swept by with freshly baked muffins for the dinner guests that were arriving later that night. "That call is not going to come any faster even if you light the phone on fire." Minako foot slid on the floor. "Don't even think about it."

She sighed and settled down in her seat, picking up the magazine that had slid off of her lap. She continued to flip through the pages but her mind was elsewhere. Normally she would be so absorbed in them that no one could reach her and no noise would bother her. These magazines were her fashion guides, her mantras, her Bible (so to speak). She heaved another sigh before tossing the magazine back on the floor and crossing her legs to lean forward in her chair. With another sigh, she placed an elbow on her knee as she planted her chin firmly in the palm of her hand and slumped in her seat.

She stared at the phone, as if willing it to ring. She didn't think she could take another minute. Pure torture. Pure agony. Whatever you wanted to call it, they had to be doing on it purpose. Maybe to test if she would be alert and aware even in a stressful situation—or when she was bored out of her mind.

Minako almost didn't hear the phone ring, she was so busy contemplating what kind of purpose this devious type of test served, and even then she hesitated to pick up the phone. _. . . and after all that waiting. What if they reject me? What if I'm not good enough?_

"Hello?" She started at the voice. Her hand was already holding the phone to her ear.

Her mouth suddenly felt too dry for comfort. "Hello?"

"Is this Minako Aino?" Somehow she squeaked out a 'Yes.' "Great! I'd just like to introduce myself. I'm Setsuna Meiou. I work as the head manager of the agents here at **Lovely**. I'm here with Haruka Tenou." Minako gulped. _That's one of the top agents over there! _A deeper voice interrupted with a "Hi" even as Setsuna continued talking. "Now, we've looked over your portfolio and I have to tell you that we loved what we saw! We do have a few questions for you and afterwards we'll answer any questions you have about us. How does that sound?"

"That sounds fine, " Minako coughed as she nervously answered. "Ah. Sorry about that."

Chuckles could be heard on the other side. "Relax. We just want to learn a little bit about you to see if you are the right fit for our company. You'll get the chance to do the same. Why don't you start by telling us about how you started?"

"Sure. When I was in London, I helped out a friend by doing this. He really liked how it turned out and ended up recommending me to a number of other people. So, I had a number of experiences in . . ." As she continued to explain, she started to feel more excited and less nervous. That feeling, however, could still turn just as easily. She just hoped she wouldn't come out of this interview a wreck.

She had been struggling over the past few years to find internships and gigs whenever possible. Most said she lacked the experience. That kind of truth she could handle. It was only when they told her that her portfolio just wasn't as strong as other candidates who had applied that she wavered. It was not good for her confidence, to say the least. She was surprised that her waistline didn't suffer for it. At the beginning she would spend days at the bars with her friends, just to prove to herself that she was sexy and had what it took to be a model. Guys definitely complimented her all night and even bought her drinks on occasion.

She had grown out of that though. Would it be even accurate to say that she had matured? She knew that drinking and flirting could only keep you afloat for so long and spent more times than not with a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream after hearing once again that she didn't get a position. Minako was a girl who could bounce back. Something might upset her but she could party hard enough to let anything slide. There was always tomorrow after all. With that thought in mind, she squared her shoulders, sitting up straight in her chair, and spoke with enthusiasm about her work and experience.

It was make or break time.

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* * *

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"Honey?" The voice filtered up from the base of the attic stairs. "You should probably start preparing for the meeting that you were so worried about yesterday. It's tomorrow, right?"

"I know how much all of you wanted to hear the rest—" Jei coughed violently "—but we'll have to continue this another time. Work calls." He paused at the top of the stairs. "Jei, you may want the doctor to look at that. We don't want you getting the rest of us sick." He continued down, muttering, "As if exploding microwaves weren't enough."

"Exploding microwaves?" Kunz asked.

"Oh, you know. Another one of his stories . . . " was the answer that Jei gave, as he did his best to act as if his father didn't know what he was talking about again while the others pretended to not hear his question, exaggerating the agony of getting up after sitting for so many hours on the floor.

"Boys, come down and eat. I'll consider your punishment served." They could hear the smirk in her tone and couldn't help but wonder if she had somehow sent their father up there knowing he would tell another anecdote. He probably didn't know that they were in trouble with her but then again . . . really, his sharpness surprised them sometimes.

All of them clomped down the stairs, their stomachs growling at the thought of finally getting some food. It was well past dinner time and the sun had already sunk below the horizon. No sunlight during the summer time meant it was well past nine o'clock, if not almost ten.

The fluorescent lights blinded them momentarily. Spots danced in their eyes as they slowed down to keep from tripping on the stairs. Jei, disoriented, hungry, and tired, quickened his pace instead even though he couldn't see where he was going. He stumbled into Mamoru, who then lost his balance and shoved Kunz into Zoi. "Holy—!"

Loud thudding followed as they all fell over like a bunch of dominoes. "Oof." "Ow!" If anyone had witnessed it, they would have winced, watching as a pile of bodies graced the bottom of the staircase. Lucky for them that they had been very close to the floor or one of them, if not all of them, would have definitely ended up with a broken wrist, ankle, or worse.

An angry 'Jei!' echoed throughout the house as they growled at him. It was such a common occurrence that neither of their parents even bothered to come running, knowing that they were grown up enough to take care it themselves. Heck, they were often yelling his name too.

"I swear, if you don't get off of me this second, I'm going to turn you into little itty, bitty pieces so that you match your namesake, " Zoi bit out at Jei. "And I'm going to make sure you're awake for every second of it."

With a grunt, Kunz shoved the both of them off his back, almost giving Mamoru a black eye as he pushed against the floor and used it as leverage, and choked on the air he desperately inhaled when he finally had a chance to breathe again. "What have you been freaking eating? Shit. You guys weigh a ton. Man, I can't believe that at one time I used to give both of you piggyback rides."

Mamoru sighed. He must have had a sign on his back that said, "Knock me over." He wouldn't be too surprised if the next thing that made him hit the ground was a car. It seemed more painful every time. He hoped there were no bruises. It wouldn't do to look like he was getting abused since that was certainly not the case. Although being friends with such people, maybe he should look more like an eggplant? He could never be quite sure.

Finally, dusting themselves off, they proceeded towards the kitchen. They didn't make it more than a few steps before they all hit the floor again with a loud smacking sound.

"Sorry! Sorry."

A collective groan rose from their prone forms.

"I always did hate this carpet."

"That's cuz he frigging trips on it every time and never fails to take us down with him."

Mamoru opted to remain silent. _Forget dinner. All I want to do is go to sleep. _Feeling the grime covering his skin from the multiple falls and dusty attic, he added as an afterthought, _standing in the shower._ Today had been a long day and it was looking like it would be an even longer night.


	5. Mottled hearts

Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and content are my own.

Author's Note: This chapter took me about a month to write—although it really just consisted of about 3 days of actual writing, maybe a week of thinking/sitting on ideas. Geh. All of that was mainly because my summer job turned into a strangler—why am I coordinating a camp when I'm not even a people person? I feel zapped already. I am going to be a zombie after it's over.

**xShadowMaskx**, thank you so much for the review! After I read it, I was so happy. Especially since this series hasn't received many reviews or alerts, I was afraid my humor wasn't coming through on paper (apparently the way I act and speak is actually funny to people—meanies).

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**Ch. 4 Mottled hearts**

That night, something happened. The proverbial cloud that hung over their neighborhood on occasion returned in full force as a sense of despair under the surface happiness wormed its way into all their hearts. This could not be shaken as easily as it had been before through determination and forgetfulness alone: since they had chosen not to deal with their fears, their fears had come to deal with them.

It is said that if chi does not flow properly in the body, it will bring bad fortune to the owner precisely because chi that tends to stagnate in certain places for too long turns what might have been good chi into bad chi. The idea of breathing in the clean air (oxygen) and exhaling the dirty air (carbon dioxide) is really not that much different. The body, after all, requires oxygen to stay alive, to remain fresh and healthy.

So what about the even less tangible emotions forged through human interactions (or lack thereof)?

Metaria would quite gladly show anyone who asked just how easily people could be manipulated if their feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness had festered long enough. The people gripped with any of the seven sins were even easier. As were those who were too young to understand or too unaware to know.

Of course, Metaria, known in her younger days as Lady Metallia—apparently the 'r' was just too difficult to pronounce if it followed so closely after a 't'—, had been the heiress to a family of noble blood even if she herself had been tainted by being borne from a union of her mother and an Asian foreigner. So, she knew how it felt. The hatred that had been aimed towards her, she had learned to return to everyone ten-fold.

Oh, she had been a charmer in those days. Her background had some influence in that community due to the sheer power of their holdings but she had exuded her own charisma despite the cold-hearted and fearful cards she held in her hand. The little boys and girls were drawn to her even as they tried to stay away. Most of the parents saw what had become of her and they knew she was too far gone—her family had driven her to a darkness so black that they wondered how she had not gone insane.

The neighborhood slowly disappeared until her house was the only one left in that area. By then, Metaria had driven her relatives—those snide, contemptuous bitches—into their own personal hells. Her parents had not lived long because of them and that was the only thing that she would ever be thankful for in this world. They would not have to watch their beautiful daughter grow into something so warped. That was the child in her back then; that child no longer existed now.

Several decades passed and her house was once again on a paved street, the community alive and crawling with families, old and young alike. Her manor was now a broken reminder of a past, one that she still reveled in gleefully and actually felt nostalgic for, with the peeling paint flaking off the eaves and the porch floorboards warping from moisture. Metaria wanted to once again taste the glassy-eyed obedience of those boys and girls and watch as their hearts turned dark and bitter like hers.

There was so much happiness bursting from these houses in the sounds of laughter and lively chatter that she had to shy away from it. So, she stayed inside and had groceries and mail delivered through the doggy flap on the front door. Metaria would watch from the cover of her attic window over this neighborhood. She knew well that children had overactive imaginations and she would remain that scary old lady who never left her home to them. She became their 'witch.'

A witch she was alright. That night, the air was tingling. The shift that she had been waiting for was coming and it made her heart beat like the motor of a lawnmower, whose cord had just been pulled. She licked her cracked lips in anticipation.

_Soon._ She fingered the red jewel she had long ago embedded in the boudoir table. _Very soon._

Even if there were guardian angels, something that Usagi seemed to highly believe in, they would not have been able to do anything for these poor souls in the months to come. It was a test. Metaria would use all in her power to make them fail it.

What test? Please, go back and read it again. Okay, fine. A hint. It is the darkness in their hearts! The _darkness_!

One by one, a head would touch a pillow and one by one they would heave a sigh so distraught that it would wend into the air in ebony tendrils upon exhalation. These wisps, representations of their mottled hearts, floated out the windows as if magnetically drawn to that flashing twinkle in the night. From every house on both sides of that street, numerous foggy strands—some thick and heavy, others cords that seemed about to break—curved into an ever-growing cloud. If anyone had seen the pulsating mass of energy in the sky, they would have been rooted in horror at the very sight.

However, no one could see it because it wasn't for them to see. It was the stuff of magic and fairytales. Some certainly felt it though. Just as Metaria delighted in the tingle it brought, Luna and Artemis were looking at each in worry on the other end of that same street. It would cause many to toss and turn that evening and for many nights to come as it lingered over them like a rain cloud.

Brushing aside the lace curtain on their front window, Luna peered out into the illuminated abyss. Artemis shuffled up behind her, the wheels on his walker squeaking as the front feet made a horrible rubbery sound against the hardwood floor. "This sensation . . . I have not felt it in such a long time."

Artemis' voice rasped in reply. "Not since World War II."

"Let us hope that these children are as strong as we have come to believe."

Artemis chuckled. Even he felt the wistful sadness that was appearing in his wife's eyes and that was saying a lot since he had always been the more optimistic of the two, finding silver linings where they could hope for none.

A flash of the battlefields littered with bodies, of women and children, the old and the weak, beaten and bruised beyond recognition, of dirty tear-stained faces as people cried from their souls crossed their minds and they wished for none of the desperation and insanity that had nearly broken them. They knew that one insignificant action, one vain desire, one misinterpreted word could set into motion events that would change the course of their lives.

"Come on. Back to sleep, dear."

"You're the one who woke me in the first place. Why won't you let me put carpet on the underside of those feet?"

"You tried it last time already! Don't you remember what happened? I got stuck!"

"I have perfect memory. You can't lie to me . . ."

The aforementioned feet had been catching on the floor throughout the conversation, so how they were able to hold one at all was a real mystery. Their voices faded into the hum of the air conditioner as they fell into an uneasy slumber.

Back down at the other end of the street, Mamoru trudged across the Shittenous' back lawn to the side door of his house. His back twinged as if warning him that he would wake up tomorrow feeling sore all over and knew that it couldn't be truer. He had been manipulated into doing heavy labor plenty times and almost swore they were making excuses to get free workhorses.

Mamoru thought he saw a glimmer out of the corner of his eye. _What was that? _Pausing for a moment, he looked up into the cloud-covered skies. The almost full moon hidden by the gray mist made him wonder about the workings of the world before another twinkle caught his eye.

A red light—a star?—blinked innocently a few times before winking out. _Were there red stars? Well, visible to the naked eye anyway._ Somewhere in his mind, he found the oddity a little unnerving but he was just too tired to think about it further. Perhaps he would skip that sleep-while-standing shower as well. He didn't have enough energy to undress himself . . . but maybe he wouldn't have to because not only was his skin grimy, so were his clothes—he could just take a shower in them. Otherwise, he'd have to strip his bed and wash all his blankets if he fell asleep wearing these gross things.

His father was sitting in the living room, leaning back in his chair as he browsed today's newspaper. Although why he did that every day Mamoru would never understand because the man went through them at least once during each morning's breakfast.

"Hey Dad. Where's Mom?"

Without so much as looking up, he answered, "She said something about pictures and a bush?"

His mother was an amateur photographer—although her work was actually too good to be called 'amateur'—and the hobby had garnered enough interest from her to make her turn the hallway closet into a darkroom. _More like she forced Dad and me to fix it up for her_, Mamoru thought wryly.

Mamoru was still a stranger in many ways to the meanings of 'living in the moment' and 'taking time to smell the roses' but he felt just for an instant that he understood the unspoken things about life when he looked at his mother's work. In her non-amateur 'amateur' work, she was able to capture glimpses of people's very souls. Sometimes, it made him afraid to look at the pictures she took of him. Mamoru saw a swirling storm of emotions in the eyes of his own portraits and such a deep sadness in their expressions that made him aware of how much he still had not come to terms with his place or lot in life.

_No, no. NO!_ He would not think about it. It hurt too much to remember because he only had himself to blame. Yet the images were flowing into his head before he could stop them.

_The night was dark with occasional flashes of lightning. He whimpered at the loud sounds. "Papa! Papa, I'm scared! Hurry!"_

_They both smiled at him. "Don't worry, sport. We'll be there soon. We don't want to get into an acc—"_

_The honking of a horn cut him off as a bright light shined through their windows. It was followed by a sickening crunch as the car veered into the guardrail and flew straight into the ravine below._

He could still remember his own scream. The voices of his parents calling his name even as they plummeted to their deaths made his throat tighten.

"_Mamoru! Ma_moru!" He blinked, his mind finally escaping into the present.

"Yeah?" He couldn't wipe the distressed look from his face, so he hoped he wouldn't have to turn around.

"You okay? The Shittenous must be putting you boys through boot camp." He guffawed at his own joke. "Get some sleep. We're supposed to weed and mow the lawn and then make a fence and traps for the vegetable garden."

Mamoru had to smile a little. "I'm fine. Kinda getting used to it actually. Maybe I should make this a part-time job and help out others in the neighborhood." He began to walk away even as he responded to the small talk. "And, yes, I remember what Mom wanted. She's been talking about it all week."

". . ." Mamoru headed towards his bedroom, stopping when his dad spoke again. "If you're really serious about starting a business like that, I'll help you finance it."

His father didn't say anything more but after he took a quick shower, Mamoru fell asleep thinking about what it would be like to become an entrepreneur in the recollecting business. He ended up with weird dreams of cleaning attics and finding crashing cymbals in all of them. They gave him such an awful ringing in his ears that he clutched at his head.

The ringing only got louder. He realized hazily that it was his clock and that he had forgotten last night to turn off the alarm.

He slid off the bed, almost snake-crawling across the floor to his desk. He sat at the table even after he had turned off the alarm. It was 7:48 AM. On a Saturday morning. He grunted and his eyelids began to slide shut of their own accord.

He swayed in his chair just as the bedroom door slammed open. "Mamoru, honey!" His entire body jumped at the unexpected sound. "I made that French toast you love so much so you'll be all charged to get that yardwork done!"

His mother's unexpected entrance scared the bejesus out of him and his immediate reaction was to stand up and fight. He knocked the chair over, his knee hitting the leg of the desk and his head colliding with the bookcase as he tried to get up quickly in his groggy state. His mother winced. "Oh my god! Are you okay?"

She rushed over to him and began poking the tender spots to see how badly he would be bruising in a few hours. Mamoru only answer was a pained groan. _Why does today feel like it's going to suck? _His own twitching limbs were the only answer.


End file.
